ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The UNC Asheville women’s soccer team will play one exhibition match to prepare for the 2014 season and that will occur Friday night Western Carolina starting at 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs face a stern test on Friday as the Catamounts knocked off fellow Big South club Winthrop on Wednesday night, 2-0. WCU is usually one of the top teams in the Southern Conference and went 10-9-1 in 2013.

Asheville has worked hard since last week in preparing for the 2014 season. Head Coach Michelle Demko believes the exhibition match with the Catamounts will be a good challenge for the Blue & White.

"I am excited about Friday's opportunity to see where we are as a team. We introduced new tactics this year that allow us to have more creativity all over the field,” declared Demko. “The amount of depth we have on this year's roster will play an integral role in our ability to maintain a more sophisticated style of play.

“This game against Western Carolina will be a great test for us, as they are a well-organized team,” added Demko. “They will make us pay for any mistakes we make and will force us compete for 90 minutes. I look forward to watching our players have an opportunity to display their abilities together."

Asheville opens the regular season against Southern Conference foe Chattanooga at Greenwood Field on Friday, Aug. 22 starting at 6 p.m.